Suvendu Adhikari Sues Mamata Banerjee for Defamation, Seeks ₹100 Crore Over Coal Scam Allegation
West Bengal’s political confrontation escalated sharply on Friday after Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari filed a ₹100-crore defamation suit against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of making “baseless and defamatory” allegations linking him to an alleged coal scam.
Adhikari filed the civil suit before the court of the Civil Judge (Senior Division) at Alipore, stating that Banerjee failed to respond to a legal notice he had earlier served on her demanding proof of the allegations.
“Silence Will Not Save You”
Announcing the legal action through a post on X, Adhikari accused the Chief Minister of deliberately evading accountability.
“I honour my commitments while you obfuscate issues and people.
Your deceptive silence to the defamation notice of your vile imaginary allegations of my involvement in some alleged coal scam will not help you salvage the situation,” he wrote.
Adhikari added that he had kept his promise of moving the court after Banerjee allegedly failed to substantiate her claims.
“I kept my word of dragging you to court for your deceitful misadventure and filed the suit against you today,” he said, sharing a photograph of the registered title suit.
₹100 Crore Damages, To Be Donated
In a sharp political flourish, the BJP MLA said that if the court rules in his favour and awards damages, the money would not be used for personal gain.
“Please get in touch with your learned advocates early, or else you will soon have to pay ₹100 crore as damages to me, which I will donate to charity,” Adhikari stated.
The Allegation at the Centre
The dispute stems from statements allegedly made by Banerjee on January 8 and 9, in which she publicly linked Adhikari and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to an alleged coal scam, while claiming she possessed evidence.
According to Adhikari, no such material was placed in the public domain or submitted through legal channels.
In the legal notice sent through his advocate, Adhikari had:
- Termed the accusations “false, malicious and defamatory”
- Asked Banerjee to prove the allegations within 72 hours
- Warned that failure to do so would result in a defamation suit
With no response forthcoming, he proceeded to court.
A Political Rivalry Turned Legal Battle
Adhikari’s lawsuit adds a legal dimension to his long-running political rivalry with Banerjee.
Once a powerful minister in the Trinamool Congress government, he defected to the BJP ahead of the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, where he emerged as Banerjee’s principal challenger.
The defamation case is now expected to intensify the already charged political atmosphere in the state, with both sides preparing for a courtroom battle that could have far-reaching political and reputational consequences.
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